Technology

• Vivo says its next foldable will offer Apple Watch support
• The syncing seems to work through an iCloud connection
• It's not clear if Apple will ultimately allow this to function

We didn't have Apple Watch support for Android phones on our tech bingo card for 2025 – or for any year, for that matter – but Vivo has announced that the upcoming Vivo X Fold 5 is going to be the first Android phone to work with Apple's wearable.

As per an official post on Weibo (via 9to5Google), you'll be able to answer calls and read texts on your Apple Watch when it's connected to your X Fold 5, as well as sync health data between the two devices.

Based on subsequent posts from Vivo, it sounds as though this is going to work through some kind of iCloud connection through the web. I'm relying on Google Translate, but there are mentions of syncing data to and from an iPhone as well.

It's going to be interesting to see how this works, when it arrives – because presumably it could be set up on other Android phones too. As you might already know, Apple executives did consider adding Android support to the Apple Watch, but abandoned the effort because of "technical limitations".

I hope this happens, but I'm not convinced

The X Fold 5 is following on from the X Fold 3, shown here (Image credit: Vivo)

The obstacle to trying to add Apple Watch support to an Android phone is similar to the problem of trying to build a third-party app to access your iMessages: Apple won't let you do it, which is a pretty big stumbling block.

For now at least, Apple wants its smartwatches to be accessories to its iPhones, and so doesn't want a device like the Apple Watch 10 lowering itself to connecting to an Android phone – even if it might sell more wearables as a result.

Whatever the hack is that Vivo has in mind, then, it's pretty much a given that Apple will block it with a software update. If the Apple Watch ever gets official Android support, it'll be because Apple allows it – perhaps as a result of the continuing antitrust pressure it's under.

While I'm a dedicated Android user when it comes to my primary phone of choice, I'd like the option to use an Apple Watch on my wrist – it certainly compares well to the best Garmins and the best Android watches out there.

However, that's not a choice Apple wants to give me right now, and I'm not sure Vivo is going to be able to do much about it.

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• Vivo says its next foldable will offer Apple Watch support
• The syncing seems to work through an iCloud connection
• It's not clear if Apple will ultimately allow this to function

We didn't have Apple Watch support for Android phones on our tech bingo card for 2025 – or for any year, for that matter – but Vivo has announced that the upcoming Vivo X Fold 5 is going to be the first Android phone to work with Apple's wearable.

As per an official post on Weibo (via 9to5Google), you'll be able to answer calls and read texts on your Apple Watch when it's connected to your X Fold 5, as well as sync health data between the two devices.

Based on subsequent posts from Vivo, it sounds as though this is going to work through some kind of iCloud connection through the web. I'm relying on Google Translate, but there are mentions of syncing data to and from an iPhone as well.

It's going to be interesting to see how this works, when it arrives – because presumably it could be set up on other Android phones too. As you might already know, Apple executives did consider adding Android support to the Apple Watch, but abandoned the effort because of "technical limitations".

I hope this happens, but I'm not convinced

The X Fold 5 is following on from the X Fold 3, shown here (Image credit: Vivo)

The obstacle to trying to add Apple Watch support to an Android phone is similar to the problem of trying to build a third-party app to access your iMessages: Apple won't let you do it, which is a pretty big stumbling block.

For now at least, Apple wants its smartwatches to be accessories to its iPhones, and so doesn't want a device like the Apple Watch 10 lowering itself to connecting to an Android phone – even if it might sell more wearables as a result.

Whatever the hack is that Vivo has in mind, then, it's pretty much a given that Apple will block it with a software update. If the Apple Watch ever gets official Android support, it'll be because Apple allows it – perhaps as a result of the continuing antitrust pressure it's under.

While I'm a dedicated Android user when it comes to my primary phone of choice, I'd like the option to use an Apple Watch on my wrist – it certainly compares well to the best Garmins and the best Android watches out there.

However, that's not a choice Apple wants to give me right now, and I'm not sure Vivo is going to be able to do much about it.

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• Does your Apple Watch support watchOS 26?
• These are the best foldables you can buy
• I switched to a folding phone – and I'm not going back

• Three in five organizations are adopting GenAI faster than workers are happy with
• 66% of leaders say taking risks adopting AI is an important step
• Few workers will actually need retraining or upskilling

IBM's latest research supports the notion that companies are shifting from AI experimentation to implementation, with two in three (65%) UK & Ireland CEOs saying they are actively adopting AI agents at scale.

However, growth could be outpacing worker readiness, with the report finding over half (58%) are pushing their organizations to adopt GenAI faster than some are comfortable with.

It's a tricky one to balance, though, with many leaders believing their organizations' competitive edge could rely on how they approach artificial intelligence.

Organizations are going all-in on AI

Two-thirds (66%) say they must take more risks than their competitors to stay ahead, with nearly as many (62%) admitting to investing in technology before fully understanding its value, simply to avoid falling behind.

A further two-thirds (64%) of the 2,000 CEOs surveyed from 33 countries believe the productivity gains they could unlock from AI justify the potentially significant risks.

The success of generative AI has spurred on a whole new era of agentic AI – proactive non-human agents are said to be highly effective in decision-making, delivering predictive insights, and other automation and productivity metrics across HR, finance, IT, and customer service in particular.

"As expectations around AI shift towards competitive advantage and quantifiable ROI, CEOs are embracing risk as an opportunity to drive business performance," noted IBM Consulting's UK&I Managing Partner Rahul Kalia.

While speed is important – both in terms of adoption rates and AI performance – IBM says that companies should also emphasize trust by using explainable AI models, forming strong data privacy and security principles, and adhering to ethical guidelines.

However, AI's effects on the workforce might not be as drastic as some had previously anticipated. Only 30% of the current workforce will require retraining or upskilling over the next three years, the CEOs said.

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• Three in five organizations are adopting GenAI faster than workers are happy with
• 66% of leaders say taking risks adopting AI is an important step
• Few workers will actually need retraining or upskilling

IBM's latest research supports the notion that companies are shifting from AI experimentation to implementation, with two in three (65%) UK & Ireland CEOs saying they are actively adopting AI agents at scale.

However, growth could be outpacing worker readiness, with the report finding over half (58%) are pushing their organizations to adopt GenAI faster than some are comfortable with.

It's a tricky one to balance, though, with many leaders believing their organizations' competitive edge could rely on how they approach artificial intelligence.

Organizations are going all-in on AI

Two-thirds (66%) say they must take more risks than their competitors to stay ahead, with nearly as many (62%) admitting to investing in technology before fully understanding its value, simply to avoid falling behind.

A further two-thirds (64%) of the 2,000 CEOs surveyed from 33 countries believe the productivity gains they could unlock from AI justify the potentially significant risks.

The success of generative AI has spurred on a whole new era of agentic AI – proactive non-human agents are said to be highly effective in decision-making, delivering predictive insights, and other automation and productivity metrics across HR, finance, IT, and customer service in particular.

"As expectations around AI shift towards competitive advantage and quantifiable ROI, CEOs are embracing risk as an opportunity to drive business performance," noted IBM Consulting's UK&I Managing Partner Rahul Kalia.

While speed is important – both in terms of adoption rates and AI performance – IBM says that companies should also emphasize trust by using explainable AI models, forming strong data privacy and security principles, and adhering to ethical guidelines.

However, AI's effects on the workforce might not be as drastic as some had previously anticipated. Only 30% of the current workforce will require retraining or upskilling over the next three years, the CEOs said.

You might also like

• Check out the best AI tools and best AI writers
• Prepare for the future with the best online learning platforms
• Developers aren't thrilled about having to add AI into everything they build, study shows

• Nine in ten workers handle spreadsheets daily, says Canva
• Formulas and complex sheets are the biggest hurdles
• Data visualization is important for storytelling

New research from Canva has highlighted how much data companies are using, however workers' competence and confidence are lagging behind, with "data dread" becoming increasingly common.

Most workers (89%) now handle spreadsheets daily, yet more than one in four (27%) would go as far as avoiding them if they could, with Canva's research accusing training efforts of being ineffective.

Nearly half (44%) of UK organizations already provide data literacy training, however four in five (78%) professionals still claim to experience data anxiety that relates to incompetence, not just a dislike.

Canva says most workers feel "data dread"

Three-quarters (77%) of the 2,400 marketing and sales professionals surveyed stated that their reliance on data has increased over the past two years, with a similar number (74%) wanting to be more effective with data in their day-to-day work.

Although there appears to be some confidence with analyzing data, some key areas were highlighted as lacking, including formulas (46%) and understanding overly complex spreadsheets (42%).

Canva Head of EMEA Duncan Clark said: "Working with data shouldn't be confined to specialists. When you give teams the right tools and training to turn numbers into narratives, you can unlock so much potential in an organisation."

Although data can be powerful, Canva highlighted the importance of framing it correctly with effective storytelling. Four in five (82%) said they feel more confident when they're presenting with visualized data, with even more workers (89%) believing visualizations boost the credibility of their presentations.

"The goal isn't to make everyone a data scientist, but to empower teams to confidently make sense of the data at their disposal and turn it into compelling, engaging stories," Clark added.

Looking ahead, it's clear that training efforts have failed workers to date. Canva advocates for the provision of more intuitive tools that make handling data slicker and more user friendly.

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• Nine in ten workers handle spreadsheets daily, says Canva
• Formulas and complex sheets are the biggest hurdles
• Data visualization is important for storytelling

New research from Canva has highlighted how much data companies are using, however workers' competence and confidence are lagging behind, with "data dread" becoming increasingly common.

Most workers (89%) now handle spreadsheets daily, yet more than one in four (27%) would go as far as avoiding them if they could, with Canva's research accusing training efforts of being ineffective.

Nearly half (44%) of UK organizations already provide data literacy training, however four in five (78%) professionals still claim to experience data anxiety that relates to incompetence, not just a dislike.

Canva says most workers feel "data dread"

Three-quarters (77%) of the 2,400 marketing and sales professionals surveyed stated that their reliance on data has increased over the past two years, with a similar number (74%) wanting to be more effective with data in their day-to-day work.

Although there appears to be some confidence with analyzing data, some key areas were highlighted as lacking, including formulas (46%) and understanding overly complex spreadsheets (42%).

Canva Head of EMEA Duncan Clark said: "Working with data shouldn't be confined to specialists. When you give teams the right tools and training to turn numbers into narratives, you can unlock so much potential in an organisation."

Although data can be powerful, Canva highlighted the importance of framing it correctly with effective storytelling. Four in five (82%) said they feel more confident when they're presenting with visualized data, with even more workers (89%) believing visualizations boost the credibility of their presentations.

"The goal isn't to make everyone a data scientist, but to empower teams to confidently make sense of the data at their disposal and turn it into compelling, engaging stories," Clark added.

Looking ahead, it's clear that training efforts have failed workers to date. Canva advocates for the provision of more intuitive tools that make handling data slicker and more user friendly.

You might also like

• We've listed the best data visualization software
• Need to show the figures to an audience? Check out the best presentation software
• Some employers won't like this: the most productive staff are working shorter sprints and taking longer breaks

• Android 16 is out now, with new features like live updates and security tools
• Many other Android 16 features – along with its visual overhaul – aren't present, and are rumored to be landing on September 3
• This initial rollout is just for Pixel phones, with other brands set to roll out Android 16 later this year

Android 16 has now landed, and if that seems unusually early to you, you’re right, as the last few versions of Android have all landed towards the end of their release years, with Android 15 only launching back in October.

So this is a quick turnaround for Google’s latest Android version – which perhaps explains why the most anticipated and substantial feature is absent.

Specifically, Android’s visual overhaul – dubbed Material 3 Expressive – which Google showed off not so long ago, isn’t here yet. That will be landing as part of Android 16’s QPR1 (quarterly platform release 1), which according to a source speaking to Android Authority will roll out to Pixel devices on September 3 – that's around the time we’d typically expect to see new numbered versions of Android.

Android's Material 3 Expressive overhaul isn't here yet (Image credit: Google)

September 3 is reportedly also when we'll see Android 16's desktop mode, which lets you connect your phone to a monitor and interact with a desktop interface, much like Samsung has been offering for years with its DeX mode.

And we'll probably also see smaller updates then, like a more organized sound settings screen, which has been spotted by Android Authority in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta.

Still, that doesn’t mean this first version of Android 16 isn’t worth downloading. It includes various new features, such as live updates that give you real-time updates on things like food deliveries and Uber requests on your lock screen.

You can also activate Advanced Protection mode to help keep your phone protected from unsafe websites, scam calls, harmful apps, and other threats. Not all of the features within Advanced Protection are new, but now you can activate all of these safeguards with a single tap.

(Image credit: Google)Grouped notifications and accessibility improvements

Android 16 will also group notifications from a single app to keep things organized, and there are improvements for users of hearing aids, as you can now choose to use your phone’s microphone for audio input during calls (rather than the hearing aid’s microphone), and natively control your hearing aid’s volume from your phone.

There are also smaller updates, like a trade-in mode that provides quicker access to key device details, thereby speeding up the trade-in process when you're selling your phone.

These features and others are rolling out now to supported Pixel phones (meaning the Google Pixel 6 and up). If you’re using another phone brand then you’ll have to wait a bit longer, with Google saying updates for handsets from other brands will arrive “later this year”.

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• Android 16 is out now, with new features like live updates and security tools
• Many other Android 16 features – along with its visual overhaul – aren't present, and are rumored to be landing on September 3
• This initial rollout is just for Pixel phones, with other brands set to roll out Android 16 later this year

Android 16 has now landed, and if that seems unusually early to you, you’re right, as the last few versions of Android have all landed towards the end of their release years, with Android 15 only launching back in October.

So this is a quick turnaround for Google’s latest Android version – which perhaps explains why the most anticipated and substantial feature is absent.

Specifically, Android’s visual overhaul – dubbed Material 3 Expressive – which Google showed off not so long ago, isn’t here yet. That will be landing as part of Android 16’s QPR1 (quarterly platform release 1), which according to a source speaking to Android Authority will roll out to Pixel devices on September 3 – that's around the time we’d typically expect to see new numbered versions of Android.

Android's Material 3 Expressive overhaul isn't here yet (Image credit: Google)

September 3 is reportedly also when we'll see Android 16's desktop mode, which lets you connect your phone to a monitor and interact with a desktop interface, much like Samsung has been offering for years with its DeX mode.

And we'll probably also see smaller updates then, like a more organized sound settings screen, which has been spotted by Android Authority in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta.

Still, that doesn’t mean this first version of Android 16 isn’t worth downloading. It includes various new features, such as live updates that give you real-time updates on things like food deliveries and Uber requests on your lock screen.

You can also activate Advanced Protection mode to help keep your phone protected from unsafe websites, scam calls, harmful apps, and other threats. Not all of the features within Advanced Protection are new, but now you can activate all of these safeguards with a single tap.

(Image credit: Google)Grouped notifications and accessibility improvements

Android 16 will also group notifications from a single app to keep things organized, and there are improvements for users of hearing aids, as you can now choose to use your phone’s microphone for audio input during calls (rather than the hearing aid’s microphone), and natively control your hearing aid’s volume from your phone.

There are also smaller updates, like a trade-in mode that provides quicker access to key device details, thereby speeding up the trade-in process when you're selling your phone.

These features and others are rolling out now to supported Pixel phones (meaning the Google Pixel 6 and up). If you’re using another phone brand then you’ll have to wait a bit longer, with Google saying updates for handsets from other brands will arrive “later this year”.

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